Did Silk Spontaenously Combust in the Victorian Era?

Рет қаралды 132,773

Күн бұрын

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Shattered silk is a sad part of dealing with antique garments. Some pieces are just cracking along the folds, others nearly shredded, and some have only the tiniest scraps left as evidence. But what causes this damage? And WHY did they process silk this way?
The simple answer is- weighting. Weighting silks was a way to gain back the literal weight lost in de-gumming the fibers unspun from the cocoon. It could add lustre, weight, crisp hand, and even scroop. But weighting was often done with iron salts or other metals, meaning a delicate fiber was now covered in minute sharp particles. So within months, it could begin to degrade and fall apart. And sometimes the chemicals themselves would start to interact, breaking down the textile more or even making it flammable!
Numerous accounts of spontaneous combustion of silk warehouses or transports appeared in the 1870s as well. The chemical compounds, when heat and oxygen levels were right, could catch fire on their own! Steamships even had to ban carrying weighted silks for a time as most were produced in France and Germany, then shipped across the water to England or America. Enough documented cases (and some scientific experimentation) support the veracity of these stories- meaning that for once, it's not just another deadly Victorian myth! There really was danger in silk. Not so much for the average person, but occasional stories of clothing stuffed in a trunk catching light do exist as well.
🖼 Microscope: cool.culturalheritage.org/jai...
🖼 Cocoons: www.sciencedirect.com/science...
🖼 Shattered Repair: www.moadoph.gov.au/blog/putti...
00:00 Introduction
02:52 Weighting Process
04:41 History
08:12 Flammability
10:08 Fraud
13:28 Sinking Ships & Burning Bustles
17:23 Moderation
19:47 Fast Fashion
24:18 Regulations
28:33 Changing Styles
Socials
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🎶Music via Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)

Пікірлер: 619

@liznotslow 3 жыл бұрын

I've often wondered if the "they don't make things like they used to" mentality is because the things that last well...lasted and still exist, and the things that didn't... didn't, and so we don't have evidence of them. Giving a huge selection bias. There were probably lots of things, like the heavily weighted silks, that didn't last well. And by their nature of not lasting well, they don't exist anymore, so we don't see evidence of them. I hope that made sense!!

@annabeinglazy5580 3 жыл бұрын

I started thinking that as i got into Vintage Fashion. A huge complaint i See coming from people my parents age is that "These days" all fibres are synthetic and that means the quality is Shit. Which... Yes... A Lot of clothes are synthetic and a lot of them are terrible in quality. But then i started looking into 19060s and 70s Vintage Fashion and it's almost impossible to find 70s garments Made of Cotton. Almost all Mod Dresses i have come across are made of Polyester. The original 70s garments. The 80s get even heavier on the plastic. My parents both grew Up in the 70s and 80s, so they should know that synthetic fibres were a thing in thaf time. And i guess it's a good example that correlation doesnt euqal causation. A Lot of current fast Fashion is Made from Polyester AND extremely Low quality. But it's Not Low quality BECAUSE it's Polyester. Note: this is obviously disregarding the environmental Impact of synthetic fibres and microplastics, im merely speaking in Terms of garments quality

@NataliaNNS 2 жыл бұрын

Never thought of this, but it makes a lot of sense!

@dshe8637 2 жыл бұрын

Sometimes nostalgia is a big part of the equation. I'm sure every generation has some attachments to the objects and processes that become outdated for various reasons

@lorriefinley3129 2 жыл бұрын

@ Anna being Lazy The '70's era WAS all about polyester. The fashion designers wanted everyone (read females) to "go crazy" & buy everything! There was barely nothing pure cotton except at fabric stores. There were a few designers & manufacturers who weren't in that mindset like Levi's & Edburt. I'm glad my mom could sew.

@JeromeViolist 2 жыл бұрын

If they’re comparing modern things to their own childhoods, a lot of the bias can be from economic background. My husband bemoans modern toys and clothes because his family was fairly well-off. They could afford new, high quality toys and clothes. I grew up with hand me down or dollar store everything. Toys either broke in a month or were missing half their pieces. My clothes were worn and oversized. So I don’t see the cheapness and poor quality nearly as much as he does. We go to antique stores sometimes, and he finds lots of toys he had as a kid or that his grandma had. I rarely find anything familiar.

@cincocats320 3 жыл бұрын

In Victorian literature a fairly common descriptor for someone (usually widowed) who is genteelly impoverished is their clothes were a "rusty black". I was never quite sure what that meant, since my black clothes always fade to dark grey. Now I realize the iron oxide in the black dyes probably degrade to a rust colored tinge over time. Very cool little snippet of info.

@lady_sir_knight3713 3 жыл бұрын

And in naturally dyed cloth, a good black would have two under-dyed layers, a red layer and a blue layer. Cheaper blacks would skip the blue layer, leading to a faster fading and an final rusty brown color.

@cincocats320 3 жыл бұрын

@@lady_sir_knight3713 ahhh...that makes sense. Thanks for the info.

@rurone 3 жыл бұрын

@@lady_sir_knight3713 Is this why most blacks today have a reddish tone when exposed to bleach?

@allangibson2408 3 жыл бұрын

@@rurone Black dyes often have a more bleach resistant red component. There is no such thing a pure black dye.

@beth12svist 3 жыл бұрын

I also think there are a lot of extant silk dresses in rusty colours that actually started out black - I believe there's one of Queen Victoria's where that's the case?

@beagleissleeping5359 3 жыл бұрын

Passerby: "Miss! Your dress is on fire!!" Oblivious young miss: "Why thank you! It's from Worth." 🔥🔥🔥

@dissodatore 3 жыл бұрын

well, they did say that she lit up the room!

@beagleissleeping5359 3 жыл бұрын

@@dissodatore 🤣🤣

@sarah-phillips 3 жыл бұрын

Nice

@rd6203 3 жыл бұрын

🤣

@NWolfsson 2 жыл бұрын

Oblivious young miss: "Thanks, it has pockets!"

@costumeandconservation 2 жыл бұрын

I am currently working on a science project about weighted silks- so this video came at a great time. The mechanics of weighted silk breaking down are actually much more invasive. It is not that the metal particles are sharp and cut though the fibers (although that may be part of it), the metal ions actually bind into the silk proteins and break them apart at an atomic level. The more breaks in the chains, the more brittle and friable the silk will be. Currently, you can treat weighted silks with adhesive or stitched supports but it is often far more time than it is worth and those treatments can have variable outcomes. Great video!

@estuarry Жыл бұрын

Fantastic additional info, thank you!

@heard3879 Жыл бұрын

Ah that makes better sense, thanks

@splendidcolors 8 ай бұрын

So it's like using metallic hair dyes? (Feria is the devil, I tell you. Looks fabulous until your hair falls apart. And you can't use any peroxide-based formulas till you grow it all out, or the metal will react with the peroxide inside the hair strand...)

@Crossword131 3 ай бұрын

Awesome comment. This should be pinned.

@dianagreene4257 2 жыл бұрын

Had to pause at "flaming bustles" because I had a similar meltdown with literal tears of laughter in a textiles class when I learned that wool is naturally flame resistant. I had a sudden mental image of people trying and failing to set sheep on fire. To this day, I yell at the TV every time a man in a "fine wool suit" reaches across a candle and sets his arm on fire.

@Fridelain 5 ай бұрын

The lanolin oil on the wool will burn tho. Also wool itself doesn't burn as much as smolder and stink to high heaven.

@sparksfly6149 Ай бұрын

Is this... common? Hahahah

@mjlSews 3 жыл бұрын

This was absolutely fascinating. The thought of young ladies buying cheap silk clothes in the 20s because fashion changed quickly and so they didn't care if the dresses lasted long is just - the more things change, the more they say the same?

@cashkitty3472 2 жыл бұрын

At least they were biodegradable though

@JB-vd8bi 2 жыл бұрын

@@cashkitty3472 that's a very interesting point. Fast fashion but perhaps without such an impact

@AthenaeusGreenwood 2 жыл бұрын

@@cashkitty3472 Were they? Not a biochemist, but still thinking that all those chemicals, metal salts, etc. used to weight and dye the fibers would still not be good in landfills, even if the actual fabric shattered and broke down. We are still discovering the damage that the miracles of chemical fertilizers from the 1940s to today are doing, so ....

@yossarian00 Жыл бұрын

@@AthenaeusGreenwood not comparable to the continuously increasing damage caused by plastics today.

@AthenaeusGreenwood Жыл бұрын

@@yossarian00 While I agree about the plastics issue, the water contamination from dyes, metals, etc. are *still* poisoning people today due to fast fashion, among other production. Comparable? At least equal via water, food chain, etc. Check some of the water maps surrounding high production areas. Scary stuff.

@mariavazquez2022 3 жыл бұрын

Fun fact: Jackie O's wedding dress is made from weighted silk. It was deteriorating so badly on exhibit that they made a replica to display and put the original in storage.

@ashley-anne7043 2 жыл бұрын

So was Queen Elizabeth II's wedding dress.

@dawnelder9046 2 жыл бұрын

@@ashley-anne7043 Her granddaughter wore it for her wedding, so it must not have been as badly weighted.

@ashley-anne7043 2 жыл бұрын

@@dawnelder9046 if you are talking about Beatrice, that wasn't the queen's wedding dress, though I believe it was the same designer

@AlliBites 2 жыл бұрын

@@ashley-anne7043 I'm 6 months late, but Beatrice did wear a dress on loan from the Queen, it just wasn't her wedding dress.

@nothingworksworks3511 Жыл бұрын

@@dawnelder9046 or was it a replica worn by her Granddaughter?

@rankaK 3 жыл бұрын

When talking about metal salts, there are no actual metal bits. The chemical composition is completely different. But these salts can be highly reactive and catalyse a lot of volatile reactions, especially in combination with oxygen (i.e combustion or degradation of the fibre). And silk being a protein fibre doesn't help, these salts oftentimes denature proteins - hence why they are also highly toxic to the wearer of the garments made with said cloth

@theguest4516 3 жыл бұрын

Look at the big brain on you. Wow!!! Thanks for the info!!! 😷😎😷

@angelmaden1559 3 жыл бұрын

Exactly, table salt is a metal salt of sodium and chloride. There are lots of choices and some of them are “not nice”. A bit from my day job: dye from the logwood tree is used everyday to stain tissue in pathology labs. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is the benchmark first microscope slide stain used before other stains or immunohistochemisry stains. The overlaps in fields never ceases to amaze me! Chemistry happens! 😀

@AndySandbergSM 3 жыл бұрын

cool. She did also namecheck the iron compounds and sugar of lead treatments which DO contain metal. and if you google this, literally the first journal article that comes up is "Degradation in Weighted and Unweighted Historic Silks" which lists that "Metallic elements present on the silks in various amounts, as determined by neutron activation analysis, were tin and to a lesser extent iron, aluminum, chromium, copper, barium, and arsenic" right up in the abstract.

@rankaK 3 жыл бұрын

@@AndySandbergSM sure. But chemically speaking those components are more like tablesalt in structure. So no 'shards of metal'. I did not mean to disrespect anybodys research or wanted to discredit any of the information given. I just wanted to add a biochemistry viewpoint :)

@angelmaden1559 3 жыл бұрын

@@rankaK Yes, sodium is a metal. Iron salts can be more like table salt than metal filings although crystals do have edges.

@loriscook5231 2 жыл бұрын

In about 1965 my father was the factory manager for a company that imported special papers, one was made out of silk. I think they used it for map making. Dad gave some to the girl in the office and told her to wash it in an agitator washing machine. The paper washed away and left a fine white silk fabric. She used to make a beautiful long wedding dress. As a father of four daughters you would think he would have put some aside for our future wedding dresses, but no we all used synthetic fabrics. A lot of war time brides recycled parachutes if they had airforce fiancé’s

@SirenaSpades 2 жыл бұрын

This is a very interesting story! Imagine being able to obtain large quantities of good silk this way! Now we just have low quality fabrics.

@christajennings3828 Жыл бұрын

Map silk and map linen are wonderful fabrics, once the stiffening has been washed out. I wish I could find map linen again!

@splendidcolors 8 ай бұрын

My MIL married a naval aviator and family legend was she wore parachute silk. That was in the mid-1950s so Korean War era?

@nakinilerak 2 жыл бұрын

I once had a piece of Edwardian lampas silk that self-destructed in front of my eyes over a period of about two months. Bought from a seller online, the thing had probably never seen sunlight and spent the first 100 years of its life in an almost airtight box. Gorgeous heavy cream-coloured satin with super elegant floral pattern in green, rust, pink, and amber colours. Within weeks the colours appeared to fade, but when I looked more closely, the very threads of the coloured elements turned to powder. I could just gently wipe away colour after colour, the greens and yellows lasted the longest. When every colour was gone, the cream base fabric tore itself to ribbons, obviously in an act of suicide in despair over its lost beauty. Wish I had taken photos of the progress.

@snappylobster3118 3 жыл бұрын

When I was in College, I found a Worth capelet in the "costume" storage. The exterior was absolutely pristine wool, but the thin silk lining was just tattered to the point of almost not existing. Its strange to think that such an expensive garment (it had a couture number) would have lower quality lining.

@AliciaB. 3 жыл бұрын

the lining is easily replaceable though, so it's not as much of a problem as having the outer layer made of weighted silk. And I'm sure you can find nice woolen coats lined with shitty polyester nowadays.

@carolinemercer9779 2 жыл бұрын

@@AliciaB. they are sooo common, it drives me bonkers. I try not to introduce anything new with polyester into my wardrobe but so many nice pieces of clothing have polyester lining

@AliciaB. 2 жыл бұрын

@@carolinemercer9779 absolutely. clothing retailers : let's make a nice garment out of natural fibers, which we know people to like for their breathability ! also clothing retailers : let's line it with plastic !

@deirenne Жыл бұрын

@@AliciaB. I know I'm responding to a year old comment, but I want to scream "THIS!" to the rooftops. It's always so disappointing when I'm thrift shopping and I find a nice, vintage-esque looking, 100% cotton suit jacket, only to try it on and feel like I'm wearing a trash bag - and then one quick look and yes, again with this damn poliester lining. Although now I have a working vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machine, so I could think about swapping a trash bag lining if I find something particularly good-looking.

@AliciaB. Жыл бұрын

@@deirenne I hate the trashbag feel of poly linings too, and tbh what I usually do is simply cut it out when it's on an outer garment that I'm probably not going to wash any time soon. I know it's still gonna fray and I _should_ put in a new one, but in the meantime It's way more comfortable

@sarahrosen4985 3 жыл бұрын

I picture the perfect murder where the murderess gets rid of her blood stained clothing evidence by standing next to the fireplace and having the excuse that her dress spontaneously combusted and there was nothing but ashes left and that is her alibi. 😎 Where's Agatha Christie?

@kaylahouvenagle3866 3 жыл бұрын

Ooh, and Agatha could set it up as a separate incident, possibly with it's own villain (cause it wasn't supposed to be a weighted silk, and who changed the dress order?) So you don't even associate it with the murder at first.

@sisuguillam5109 3 жыл бұрын

@@kaylahouvenagle3866 Write it! Please? Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase?

@expatpiskie 3 жыл бұрын

It sounds like a plot from Midsomer Murders.

@sisuguillam5109 3 жыл бұрын

@@expatpiskie 😂

@becauseimafan 3 жыл бұрын

This is amazing and hilarious! I love it! I'd absolutely read a story like that 😁

@kathryncoelho2249 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating! They never talked about this in textile class at design school. This fiber series is terrific!

@kaylahouvenagle3866 3 жыл бұрын

I agree! Also, is it odd they didn't mention this in class? (I've never been to a textile class, so I don't know what's typical)

@adedow1333 3 жыл бұрын

Idk if it's odd, but they didn't mention it in mine either

@dancingcolorsVdeRegil 2 жыл бұрын

I also didn't have this in my textile "Fiber and Dye" class, where we did learn alot about silk (and most other fibers as well). I think that time was a factor, and our class required us to learn a huge amount. We did learn how to spin on a wheel, how different chemicals reacted together and which fibers they worked with... as well chose a focus fiber and make a big final piece using all the technologies.

@TheEudaimonya 2 жыл бұрын

About the increased flammability of weighted silk: I was watching a video where someone mentioned that their great great grandmother had died from a hearth fire and that when they did some research they discovered that that was actually a not uncommon thing that happened in that time period. One of my great great grandmothers actually died that way too. Obviously open flame plus long skirts equals fire hazard, but could weighted fabrics have contributed to it? If those fabrics were susceptible to sudden humidity and temperature changes, and people had fireplaces and cooked over an open flame or on a cast iron stove, that sounds like people were doing the sartorial equivalent of walking around doused in lighter fluid. Will they just randomly burst into flame? No. Are they more likely to burst into flame if they're standing over a scalding hot chunk of iron? Maybe...?

Жыл бұрын

That was my thought too - I remember hearing about women’s clothing catching fire when they stood too close to the hearth, and I bet that weighted silk didn't help that!

@splendidcolors 8 ай бұрын

Agreed. With all the beach bonfires and BBQs in America these days, this isn't something that happens unless someone falls into the fire. I guess the FTC or whoever regulates fabrics is doing something right? @

@zhopaaesthetic 6 ай бұрын

@ I was thinking about that too - maybe women wouldn't usually cook in their silk gowns, but they would probably sit next to a fire, or hot wax could drip on their dress from a candle, and if the fabric itself is so flammable, perhaps that could be enough? And that's even scarier when you think about all the layers that are interconnected and really hard to get out of...

@Chappysmom 3 жыл бұрын

I did not know the rustle noise of silk had its own name. Scroop. That's awesome.

@agcons 3 жыл бұрын

It sounds to me like the admonition "never wash silk; it must be dry-cleaned" originated in the time when silk was weighted. I've always washed silk fabric prior to cutting, I've almost never noticed any significant change in character, and the finished garments hand-wash beautifully. Every once in a long while I do encounter a significant change. In the 1980s I found habotai 90cm wide at $5.00 a metre, a real bargain. After hand washing its character changed completely, and now I know why. I cannot remember if the label indicated it was weighted or not, but I know how I'll guess.

@Eloraurora 3 жыл бұрын

This! If the textile predates the invention of dry-cleaning, dry-clean-only deserves some skepticism.

@argusfleibeit1165 3 жыл бұрын

Washable (and very affordable) silk was not around much before the '90s. I bought many oversized men's shirts then, on clearance racks because of wild colors and patterns. I've hung onto them, even though I seldom wear them anymore, because, "silk". I would put them in mesh bags, machine wash cold, and straighten them on hangers to dry, no ironing. They are very durable. Kind of hot to wear in Georgia, unfortunately.

@lenabreijer1311 3 жыл бұрын

@@argusfleibeit1165 yes I bought a lot of those too second hand but I just tossed them into the washing machine and dryer. I wore them as sort of a light weight jacket. I could wear a tank top on my commute and then cover up in my cold office with a silk shirt. Lovely large and flowy silk shirt. They lasted about 10 to 15 years before the underarm seam shredded. Then they became craft fabric.

@johannageisel5390 3 жыл бұрын

Just be careful to not use a detergent containing enzymes. Enzymes are great for removing protein-based stains (egg, blood, milk etc.) from carbohydrate-based fibers (plant fibers like cotton, linen, rayon etc.), but they will also attack the proteins in the silk.

@theguest4516 3 жыл бұрын

I bought a beautiful silk shirt brand new at a Value Village. I was in a bind and threw in my silk shirt in with my darks including jeans. It came out fine. You don't have to hand wash silk. It's tougher than you think. I've told people and they don't believe me but, it's true. Just throw it in the wash. Seriously!!! 😷😎😷

@tippylaroux3137 3 жыл бұрын

Not anywhere near what I thought would be the reason, and it was crazy listening and hearing how “fast fashion” isn’t a 21st century problem. Too bad the plastics that are used now won’t disintegrate and disappear like the weighted silks. Our fast fashion will be around forever 😢

@sherrieludwig508 3 жыл бұрын

Actually, if you talk to fashion conservators, much of swinging London's Mod fashion, including bonded knits in Mary Quant dresses, are shattering in much the same way as the silks, resins in the plastics turn yellow and brittle, etc.

@Stettafire 3 жыл бұрын

@@sherrieludwig508 They become unusable but they continue to pollute the environment well past their useful life.

@allangibson2408 3 жыл бұрын

The problems are exactly the same - just as persistent and annoying.

@mwater_moon2865 2 жыл бұрын

Interestingly, the first plastic became very widely used in accessories in the 1870s, it was called "celluloid" (it's the same plastic as ping pong balls) was EXTREMELY flammable, though arguably more environmentally friendly than the ivory and tortoise shell it was replacing. They also used it to make film for movies, and they literally coated the boxes around the projectors in asbestos it was so prone to burning. If you ever want an idea of how bad this stuff is, watch a youtube vid of what happens to ping pong balls in a flame....

@allangibson2408 2 жыл бұрын

@@mwater_moon2865 Celluloid is Nitrocellulose, AKA gun cotton. Mix in a a bit of Nitroglycerin and later Nitroguanidine and you have smokeless powder (as used by the French since 1876).

@nyalar8393 3 жыл бұрын

I almost burst into flames at the reading of that article about fashion-obsessed women who should be isolated so that they can spontaneously combust at a safe distance from men. What a time to have been alive!

@nunyabusiness164 2 жыл бұрын

My great grandmother had a dressmaker aunt who made little doll replicas of current (c. 1900) fashions for her favorite doll - passed down in the family to my mother, and someday me. We're moving so we took them out to look at them this week. Some of the dresses have held up just fine, if yellowed, but there's one pretty frilly pink silk dress that's basically turned to ribbons in the last 10 years despite nobody really touching it. This totally explains that!!!

@birdwoman07 3 жыл бұрын

I have a beautiful wool cape from the 1800's that was embellished with cutwork and Jet beads. The cape is in beautiful condition except the lining was silk and it literally looked like a cat had shredded the lining into hundreds of thin strips. I removed and replaced the lining not knowing what I was looking at, wishing now that I had saved at least a little of that fabric for historical documentation. That cape has brought me many years of pleasure as part of my costume for Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, TX each Christmas season. Thank you so much for the information.

@purplealice Жыл бұрын

Jet is the name for gem-quality anthracite coal. It can burn.

@nikaleelawson9451 3 жыл бұрын

Oh my goodness!!! The spider guy from Treasure Planet!! His name is Mr, Scroop!!! I know this is a little, out there tangent but it’s a light bulb moment!!! I love this textile series, by the way. Have learned so much!!

@Lunareon 3 жыл бұрын

There needs to be a "this is fine" meme, with the dog replaced by a spontaneously combusted Victorian woman. xD

@sarah-phillips 3 жыл бұрын

“Is this the start of fast fashion?!” Watches longer...yikes...but also want to go to a silk speakeasy. I also love how fashion has always been bonkers. Like, hey this silk dress most definitely contains lead and might combust...WRAP IT UP!

@dcarbs2979 3 жыл бұрын

Some even earlier silks were insanely expensive (17th/18th century). Literally the cost of an average house - both at the time, and inflation adjusted to today's money. The silver and gold lined embroidery threads used by nobility were actual gold and silver precious metal. Even close reproductions using authentic methods and materials come close to the same cost of the average house! Very expensive materials, very labour intensive methods.

@MrCunninghamd 3 жыл бұрын

I’ll bet it’s even faster if they’re running from flames.

@sarah-phillips 3 жыл бұрын

@@MrCunninghamd haha!

@AthenaeusGreenwood 2 жыл бұрын

@@dcarbs2979 Ages ago came across references to French courtiers (ladies & gentlemen) of Louis XIV spending downtime picking out gold & silver threads, along with precious gems (parfilage), from their previous ensembles to re-use in new outfits or sell, since le Roi had very strict rules about court dress, and of course, one couldn't trust a servant not to steal; so a necessity became a fashionable pastime! Spread to England as drizzling, with some very elegant sets of scissors, picks, etc.

@irmar Жыл бұрын

@@dcarbs2979 Labour was cheap, though (unfortunately).

@elfieblue3175 3 жыл бұрын

Worth it for learning a new word: scroop!

@bellablue5285 3 жыл бұрын

The color of the dress at 6:12 is phenomenal, I can see disregarding the source/effects of the colorant for a color like that. This is a really cool (terrifying?) topic, appreciate your research and video

@Serenova 3 жыл бұрын

Honestly, this was absolutely fascinating on a lot of levels. I work for an indie yarn dyer and we do dye a pure silk yarn. We use citric acid as our mordent. And modern acid dyes. We use food grade acid AND dyes that are environmentally friendly, so we're not too worried about the health affects. But hearing how silk could be modified sounds crazy, but is also very interesting!

@nidomhnail2849 3 жыл бұрын

In your readings, did you run into any discussions on how silk manufacturers responded to the military's demand for silk during the wars? Silk parachutes that shatter are too scary to think about.

@NicoleRudolph 3 жыл бұрын

I didn't- but I assume that's less of an issue for the type of silk they were looking for. Parachute silk is very lightweight and generally undyed (or at least not vibrantly so), so it's less likely to have seen a weighting process at any point! And from the sounds of it, the moment you started folding the weighted silk it started to show cracking, so it theoretically was obvious from the start (if you knew to look).

@nidomhnail2849 3 жыл бұрын

@@NicoleRudolph Thanks !

@Eloraurora 3 жыл бұрын

This reminds me of how weirded out I was by the fact that parachute rigger is still an MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). All the tedium of laundry, but with life-and-death stakes!

@stillhuntre55 3 жыл бұрын

My Grade 2 teacher had parachuted in the military, so she used one of her old parachutes to create a "reading tent" in the corner of our classroom. The silk was very soft and delicate, but still in one piece.

@cindypierce6269 3 жыл бұрын

@@stillhuntre55 I love that. My mother took my Dad's old parachute, added a zipper, and made it into a teepee-style tent with a poll in the middle. My sister and I used it for years camping in the Serra Nevada mountains.

@mwater_moon2865 2 жыл бұрын

I came expecting to hear about “Crinoline fires” (basically your skirt was so wide it'd get closer to the fire than you'd realized and then air flow made it torch fast) which is widely quoted as killing around 3000 women in England alone, and Celluloid, a very early plastic that was used to replace, ivory, bone, and tortoiseshell, esp for combs and accessories. But it was prone to explosive decomposition that more than one factory producing it exploded in a fire ball. What to know how bad it is? They still make ping pong balls out of it, just check youtube for a video of one of those going through a flame.... Did not realize the dyes were fire prone too!

@EXO-L45 3 жыл бұрын

The only way to keep these antique garments "alive" is by trying to make a pattern out of the garment, that way we would at least try and recreate it, better than losing it in the future 🥺

@invisibleabi999 3 жыл бұрын

interesting that they used to combine fibers with metal in about the same way that we combine fibers with plastic today. thanks for the video!

@invisibleabi999 3 жыл бұрын

@@Camille-dq8qg 👀 good luck and don't wear them on a cruise lol

@BrokenAnguissette 3 жыл бұрын

I believe this is why some underclothes can't be worn for an MRI. The metallic bits will superheat because of the magnets! There was a list of un-MRI-friendly brands in the changing room. It was super interesting. I had, had no idea we were still sneaking metal in to fabrics!

@invisibleabi999 3 жыл бұрын

@@BrokenAnguissette i always assumed that it was more to do with the metal closures and underwrite but there absolutely could be metal in the fabric itself! now i have more things to google 😂

@Eloraurora 3 жыл бұрын

Silver in fabric has been trendy modernly for antimicrobial properties, so it can turn up in socks/underwear with the claim that they won't get stinky.

@MonkeyMelVG 3 жыл бұрын

Silver is added to medical/wound bandages because it is antimicrobial and promotes wound healing.

@lorisewsstuff1607 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! It's always funny to me how some historical sewists get bent out of shape over whether a fabric is historically accurate or not. All fabrics are different now than how they used to be. We're all keen on how fashion evolved but we have to acknowledge that fabrics evolved as well. That's not a bad thing. I personally don't want to burst into flames while walking down the sidewalk. I think using an analog like rayon is fine. Rather than going nuts trying to find fabrics that don't exist anymore I think it's more practical - and sometimes safer - to look for fabrics that have the properties we're looking for, such as weight and drape. However, I am on board with that silk speakeasy. I don't know what it is but it sounds like fun.

@Anopano3000 3 жыл бұрын

I, for one, like that fabric manufacturing evolved; I would not like to die from lead/arsenic poisoning from my clothes!

@Eloraurora 3 жыл бұрын

I am sad about the decline of... fiber-specific processing, I guess? Spinning and weaving machinery today is so optimized for cotton and its short staple length that other fibers (linen, longwools, etc.) are processed in ways that don't do justice to their natural strengths.

@johannageisel5390 3 жыл бұрын

The "historical accuracy" problem reminds me of a documentary I watched about the invention of trousers. They found the oldest known trousers in a grave in central Asia and wanted to recreate it. Turns out you cannot buy the kind of wool thread today that was used in weaving the trousers (yes, it was actually woven to shape, not cut). Thankfully one of the colleagues of the research team was able to hand spin with a wheel. You can watch the documentary for free here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/htJnpsyI3ODNkqc.html (45 minutes)

@jennifermott5651 3 жыл бұрын

Aha! Does this explain the shattering of Silk in crazy quilts of the late 1800s?

@KimHazer 3 жыл бұрын

So good!!! Many of us natural dyers still use metal salts to mordant our fibers. We also rinse heavily after the fact & use specialized cleansers for silk/wool/etc... I'd never considered the particles of metal attaching themselves to the fibers before. Fascinating discussion & research! Thank you!!

@cindypierce6269 3 жыл бұрын

I am just getting into natural dyeing, and have been trying to find out what long-term effect iron mordants have on textiles. My suspicion all along has been it is related to shattered silk. We need to help modern natural dyers learn about the long-term effects of their dyeing practices. I think some age testing needs to be done.

@thecupthatcheers9763 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this deep-dive into weighted silk! I recently bought an original black silk satin bodice from about 1900, that has absolutely no shredding or shattering on it, as far as I can see. Initially, I thought it must be a reproduction, because the fabric is in such perfect condition, but it has wear marks on the polished cotton lining, as well as evidence of having some of the darts let out, and is made with the same methods as verified originals that I have examined, that I believe that is a period original garment. I don't know how it was stored, or how it stayed in such good condition!

@Rhaifha 3 жыл бұрын

That's super interesting! It makes me wonder though, from what I understand in the early industrial era it was pretty common to have warehouse/factory fires in general. To the point where some unscrupulous fellows were known to overinsure their factories and then intentionally burn it down. I wonder how many of these intentionally set fires were blamed on weighted silk? I mean, it had a reputation to spontaneously combust, so it's the perfect scapegoat!

@brightcopperkettles 3 жыл бұрын

I can't fully articulate why, but I found this story oddly reassuring in how as humans, we really haven't changed.

@lucie4185 3 жыл бұрын

Wow interesting video! I wanted to thank you Nicole I bought a linen skirt after your linen video and while wearing it yesterday in the rain and I stayed pleasently warm and comfortable in my linen, no clinging or stickiness compared to a cotton or polyester skirt. So thankyou 🙂

@roxiepoe9586 3 жыл бұрын

I propose the establishment of a silk speakeasy. The password at the door? shoemaker. :)

@KKIcons 2 жыл бұрын

Someone at least start a fabric store with that name lol.

@nhansen197 2 жыл бұрын

I've got a silk jacket from Pebble Beach, California that has experienced breakage. It happened in the cuffs which were gathered with elastic. The breakage occurred along the crease lines. The jacket isn't really all that old either. I can only think that low-quality textile is still very much an issue.

@erickaeckles4187 3 жыл бұрын

Flaming bustles sounds like the name of a burlesque show.

@catherinerw1 3 жыл бұрын

Inspired by this, I was chasing down trying to find the UN number for fur/hair with oil in (at one point I was qualified in how to label goods for transport by air... the IATA handbook has a load of *double-take* moments like wet hair being rated as flammable! Just thinking of the combination of black silk crinolines and open fires... 🔥🔥

@kimbelinag 3 жыл бұрын

Well wet hay, straw, and sawdust are all prone to spontaneous combustion, so I guess hair also makes sense?

@scouttyra 3 жыл бұрын

@@kimbelinag yup, wet hay is a firehazard. We've had at least one time when getting the hay in and it started almost raining and looking like there would be more and frantically trying to get as much hay as possible in before it started to rain for real. We also notice it in our piles of grass cuttings, although they don't go up in flames they get very hot, and sometimes there seems to be charification

@lucie4185 3 жыл бұрын

With all those shiny rolls moving against each other I would not be surprised if there was static charge being built up in those warehouses.

@cedainty 3 жыл бұрын

@@scouttyra That's because it produces methane.

@sisuguillam5109 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, my god! Dang goods! Having those on your loadsheet aint no fun. I respect people who know how to plan that so much!

@SusanS588 3 жыл бұрын

When you first mentioned ladies in their bustle dresses spontaneously combusting, I immediately thought of Katness’ Mockingjay dress.

@myragroenewegen5426 3 жыл бұрын

There are a few key things I still don't understand here. If the point was to make heavier silks that absorbed more dye to become darker coloured, Why not interweave the silk threads with another more absorbent cloth fibre? I know nothing about what would historically have been in use, but one of my favourite shirts in my life was a hemp and silk blend. While it was super soft, light and flowy, hemp can be quite sturdy and rough, as can cotton.

@elisabethmontegna5412 3 жыл бұрын

When you mentioned lead being used in weighting, I immediately wondered if it would be a concern for babies who sometimes like to put just about anything in their mouths and particularly like to chew or suck on clothing (their own and the clothes of the people who are holding them) and are much smaller and more susceptible to getting ill. I was also curious about the term "sugar of lead" so I looked it up and found out that it refers to the compound lead acetate which tastes sweet and therefore could make the clothing particularly...um...tasteful. The concern about clothing catching fire reminds me of the concern today about whether children's pajamas are fire resistant (I have children's clothes on the brain today, I guess!).

@rankaK 3 жыл бұрын

Lead acetate was also used to sweeten and conceal the taste of cheap wine. People knew it was toxic long before the victorian era, but had no widely available methods of testing except tasting ;)

@allangibson2408 3 жыл бұрын

Lead paint test kits would work on leaded fabric.

@allangibson2408 3 жыл бұрын

@Gary Allen And lead and arsenic poisoning… you have to consider babies being dressed in exactly these fabrics…

@MissCaraMint 3 жыл бұрын

@Gary Allen Yeah, but if cotton is also affected then this really could be an important consern.

@dshe8637 2 жыл бұрын

Ribbon was treated with lead and unfortunately it was common to pin a rusk or rattle to babies clothes with a ribbon that they would of course suck on.

@buriichibakaimouto 3 жыл бұрын

I have a gorgeous silk chiffon Edwardian era dress that's so delicate and has several shattered areas. I'd love to study it to make one with modern silk, but I'm terrified of hurting it more.

@EXO-L45 3 жыл бұрын

Maybe this is why there aren't many garments left from the 19th century and beyond, because the weighted silk was too frail plus the constant, rapid change in fashion contributed to this as well. It never occurred to me to call the fashion of the 19th and 20th century "fast fashion". When you think about it, it makes sense. Very interesting video, I never heard about weighted silk ☺️👏

@michellecornum5856 3 жыл бұрын

This is very interesting. Oh, the dangers of looking hot! I have never caught on fire, but I have noticed that my jewel tone silk blouses shatter after about 5 years. I have two pieces of washed silk that don't have so much as a thin spot on them. One is a 20 year old blouse, the other is a t-shirt sort of conveyance. Neither are jewel tone, and both are very shlubby. I don't know how old the t-shirt is, I suspect 35 to 40 years, and it was not treated delicately. It was found at the bottom of a bag of old cotton t-shirts. Fast fashion is such an old deamon. The textile testing is VERY useful. EXCELLENT VIDEO!! (scroop -- what a fabulous word. who even knew it was a word)

@michellecornum5856 2 жыл бұрын

@@NL-mn2vl Oh, sure. Solid colors of a very vibrant, intense hue. They can be shiny, and shiny certainly is best, but jewel tones can also be rich, intensely colored cotton -- not so shiny. In the case of my silk blouses, the dark greens and dark purples shatter before the reds. Bark blues shatter before light blues, . Teals crack around the arm scythes. Interestingly, I have a couple of very loud, very intensely wild prints with all these colors in them, and they have not shattered, yet.

@mokanger97 3 жыл бұрын

I sort of just assumed silk was liable to shattering as it aged. The more you know!

@delphinidin 3 жыл бұрын

Speaking of flammable fashions, have you looked at the phenomenon of ballet dancers' costumes catching on fire from the footlights? It was a whole Thing.

@lizmerritt8682 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this great information. I can now stop feeling guilty & responsible for the beautiful but tragically shattering dressing gown that fell into my keeping. I shall henceforth admire it, but also know I can’t save it.

@DrCandyStriper Жыл бұрын

You could try to take a pattern before it falls apart completely

@melaniefunk693 3 жыл бұрын

🤣 one of my first thoughts was all the people now collecting antique cloths... I hope no one looses their collection to spontaneous combustion!! I'm glad you cleared that up at the end😂 I kept thinking, but have you warned Abby!! lol

@jbos5107 2 жыл бұрын

I have to research how the Chinese and Japanese got the brilliant colors they used for their silks. I'm sure they were centuries ahead of us in that tech.

@centurycountess4949 Жыл бұрын

this video was very interesting and reminded me of a kid's story long ago that may have been inspired by situations that occurred from these dresses. it was about a young dressmaker's daughter who had three clients, a duchess, a baroness, and a countess all the women would get jealous of their new dresses and return desperately asking the dress maker's daughter to make their dress better than the other. she warned them if she added too much more including little metal clasps where they could change out fabric flowers etc the dresses couldn't handle the weight, but these women were the basic karens of their day and on the day of the queen's birthday when the prince was coming home these women ran with the queen to meet the prince and three's gowns were like, " i can't take anymore!" and started tearing and falling apart by the time they got to the docks to meet the prince's ship they were in their underpinnings and petticoats.

@Miniver765 2 жыл бұрын

This was most informative. A conservator friend of mine usually referred to the fragility of antique silks as "silk rot" to describe their extremely degraded condition. I had always imagined it had something to do with unstable, iron based black dyes. It's interesting that even back then, in many instances, people didn't expect to get much wear out of certain silk garments and were prepared to replace them frequently.

@Peldyn Жыл бұрын

Fascinating. The community theater I am costume director for had some vintage silk garments that were weighted silk and had started to shatter. The board wanted me to see if I could salvage the garments. Looks like the answer is no.

@elizabethwadsworth5167 3 жыл бұрын

Very interesting, thank you! Several years ago I heard a talk from a fabric conservator who mentioned in passing that the chemicals used in silk production caused it to "cannibalize" (her word.) Thank you for describing the process in such detail!

@eveschwingel4260 3 жыл бұрын

So if you want to recreate a garment that was originally made with a weighted silk; what kind of silk would you use to recreate that weight & drape?

@stephh1149 3 жыл бұрын

a heavy silk that is made of more silk fiber :) that is the type of fabric weighted silks intended to copy, so it should be similar

@missingallmymarbles7670 3 жыл бұрын

Silk taffeta is still occasionally available but can be fairly thin if you aren’t careful. Whatever the heaviest silk you can find-also, you can interline the silk with a very crisp cotton fabric to cheat a bit.

@2degucitas 2 жыл бұрын

Treat your silk with sizing, easily available.

@kocronashi 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this video! I'm starting to dive into textiles and recently heard of shattered silk a month ago. The other video didn't go into context for it and I thought it was just something that happens to silk over time; didn't realize the shattering actually occur due the processing 😱

@herlaqueen 2 жыл бұрын

The former STEM student in me absolutely loved this video, thank you for sharing your research and findings with us!

@music_YT2023 2 жыл бұрын

Bustle Combustion and Silk Speakeasies! What a wonderful look into shattering silk.

@arcchildrenscenter1905 6 ай бұрын

I have an antique silk doll dress that had started to shatter when I got the doll and has turned into basically strings now. Thank you for explaining the reason why. Now, I wonder if it might start a fire in the closet? 😳

@heleneverbach Жыл бұрын

This is so interesting!!! Please do a follow up about what it was like to be a silk dyer in the late 19th century! What were their working conditions like? What was the day to day work of weighting and dying silk?

@rachelleggett1634 2 жыл бұрын

This is so interesting, thank you for doing this research! I always thought silk shattered over decades, I never would have imagined it could shatter so quickly depending on the weighting.

@mirandak7242 3 жыл бұрын

This was a super interesting video! I'm curious to hear about the new dyes and mordants you mentioned in the last section of the video; what are modern dyes capable of and how do modern dyes compare along safety lines to older dyes, what new chemical processes allow these dyeing changes to take place, etc. Could be a topic for a future video, if you're willing!

@jessicajanowiak4199 3 жыл бұрын

Questions I didn't know I had, Answers I didn't know I needed. This is (partly) why I keep coming back. Thank you for another informative video!

@jeansando6849 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating. This discussion of how quickly the fabric came apart but was colorful and fashionable like fast fashion was really eye-opening!

@thelittlecostumery 3 жыл бұрын

This is so interesting. Thank you! This past week for me has been quite the education in health hazards. I figured out we must have lead paint in our kitchen and then ended up down the asbestos rabbit hole to find asbestos in our floor (1950’s house). Then cleaning out some old boxes, I found my great grandmother’s turn of the last century leather boots covered in mold and now this video showed up. Why are old things trying to kills us? 😧 I wonder what we use everyday now, that 50 years from now, we will find it is terrible for our health?

@KKIcons 2 жыл бұрын

Wait, is leather mold that bad? We live in a very humid area, and the powdery white mold on the older things is usually just cleaned and vacuumed off. We have one suede item that was a little sus since it also had a mildew smell, but I left it out on the clothesline for awhile and that went away. I have even heard from a couple of horsepeople tell me mold on the horse tack just shows that the leather is still healthy to have moisture in it. (I do understand for a person with allergies this is a completely different situation though.) Also, there is a leather spray that is supposed to help prevent and discourage it. There is a tack shop in Georgia that sells it.

@ninegreydaisies 2 жыл бұрын

That would make for a fun costume at Costume College I bet. "The Spontaneously Combustible Woman!" (With a fake fire on the bustle of course.)

@RobinGH 3 жыл бұрын

I love your videos where you discuss textiles. I've enjoyed and casually studied fashion history since I was in college but it's only been in the last few months when you've answered questions that I've had for years. Thank you, and well done you!

@kimbelinag 3 жыл бұрын

This is so interesting and so applicable to regulations today! Thanks!

@TammyJerkChicken 3 жыл бұрын

I will now like to be referred to as “the gorgeous half of the human family” as as instead of female

@myragroenewegen5426 3 жыл бұрын

What do we use today to make a steadfastly black silk? And, if we could send a fabric back in time to solve all these weighed silk problems, what would it be? The history of black dye must be very interesting, it being the last colour a used garment can be darkened and renewed with. The Victorians, with all their mourning wear, certainly would have struggled to find a safe, comfortable black silk dye.

@cljeans8399 3 жыл бұрын

The extent of research that went into this video is mind blowing!

@mishelle5912 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve been mentioning your research and videos in my textile class, and my teacher absolutely LOVES hearing the historical perspective to our lessons. Please, more textile videos! 🙏🏻🥰

@witchvideofly 3 жыл бұрын

Now all that brown polished cotton makes so much sense

@sarahrudd4995 3 жыл бұрын

I love these types of videos about weird stuff done to fabric in the past. Absolutely fascinating

@glorygloryholeallelujah 2 жыл бұрын

Ok I need to look into this, because your video has jabbed a ye olde memory awake in the back of my brain-hole… I recall hearing stories (not of spontaneous combustion) but of women during the heyday of big ol hoop supports, lots of fabric layers and/or crinolines-that it was a very real safety concern for women to get _too close_ to flames or sparks! Because the fabrics were _basically kindling_ and all of the layers/hoops/balderdash of the ensemble would literally *imprison* women in this massive burning/melting cage…and (supposedly) there were quite a few deaths due to this unfortunate fashion calamity!! Granted, the deathtoll was basically spread across the hundreds and *hundreds* of years that wearing _ALL OF THE FABRIC_ was in style… Again, I will need to double check if it was truly THAT big of an issue, but I’m fairly certain the story had mentioned a few famous authors/poets/artists/etc. that lost women in their lives (sisters, moms, aunties, side-chicks…something like that🤷‍♀️)- all because they tragically caught fire and couldn’t or *WOULDN’T* quickly rip off their best “hunger games” cosplay, in enough time to save their lives!! Okie doke, sorry for the babbling novel length comment- but your amusing little drawing of the “spontaneously combusting dresses” triggered my very vague memory. 😆 I’m sure you’ll already know if that was a legitimate concern for women during those time periods…or if it was all just more of that delightfully hyperbolic “everything is a catastrophe!” poppycock! Now, if anyone actually got this far and read the entire comment, I have a question… I know I definitely *don’t* have the “poetic style” writing skills… but would I be *overdramatic* enough to make it as a Victorian era’ish columnist? 🤣💖

@catherinemcdougall1731 3 жыл бұрын

Your fashion history videos are my favorite! Thanks for doing the research and sharing what you find!

@adedow1333 3 жыл бұрын

I love these video essays, Nicole! Thank you for doing them!

@Notlost-lj9qt 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for all the research you put into this series. Fascinating!

@biguattipoptropica 3 жыл бұрын

I've been wondering about this for a while, thanks for helping to sate my curiosity!

@kaitlinklassen6527 3 жыл бұрын

The weighted silks might not have been as flammable as legend told, but all the celluloid products that were being integrated into gowns and jewelry back then meant they’d be catching fire one way or another.

@kristynadavidkova9221 3 жыл бұрын

Your videos surprise me every time. Fashion history is fascinating 💜

@mparis130 3 жыл бұрын

I love your fabric series! It's fascinating!

@BrokenAnguissette 3 жыл бұрын

This was such a great video! I had no idea spontaneously combusting silks had been a concern, and I loved the little trip you took us on to learn about them 😊

@hattyburrow716 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating. Thank you for the silk class xxx

@petiteminipizza 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for all these informations, I really love those videos of yours where you just dive into a subject and digest it for us

@autumn7143 3 жыл бұрын

This is very very cool!!! Thanks for the information!!!

@robintheparttimesewer6798 3 жыл бұрын

I really love your fabric 101 series. Great info thanks

@susandickerson2663 2 жыл бұрын

This is fascinating! Thank you!

@merindalee 3 жыл бұрын

This was so fascinating!! I learnt so much. Thank you :)

@michellefitzgerald3691 2 жыл бұрын

Super interesting, thanks for teaching us about this!

@The_Viking_Highlander 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating and engaging. Thanks Nicole!

@699jude 3 жыл бұрын

This explains why I was told that you couldn't wash silk; this piece of advice must have been from my maiden aunt who was born early enough to be acquainted with weighted silk! Although I don't suppose women of fashion back then did spontaneously combust, if you take weighted silks propensity to catch light easily with the amount of homes with an open fire, the risk of death or serious injury from your dress catching alight was a serious risk! Fascinating listening!